Purging disorder is characterized by vomiting or misuse of laxatives or other medications, after normal food intake, to control weight or shape. More than two million girls and women in the US suffer from purging disorder, and nearly a half million boys and men join them. But purging disorder's status as an "other" eating disorder has left it invisible to all but those who experience it firsthand. The Void Inside: Bringing Purging Disorder to Light chronicles the growing recognition of purging disorder at the turn of the millennium, reviews what science has taught us about the illness, and explains the medical complications that purging may bring. Pamela K. Keel, known for her work identifying and naming purging disorder, presents irrefutable evidence that it can no longer be considered a subset of better-known eating disorders. She also provides helpful and accessible information on assessment and treatment, and on what recovery looks like after a diagnosis of purging disorder. Drawing on the stories and words of those directly impacted by purging disorder, Keel illuminates how the illness impacts the lives of real people to underscore the severity of this hidden eating disorder, its chronicity, and the need for greater awareness. The Void Inside is an essential resource for accurate, scientifically-based information for those with purging disorder, their friends and loved ones, health professionals, educators, and anyone interested in knowing more about this severe psychiatric illness.

About the Author
Pamela K. Keel, PhD, is Distinguished Research Professor and Director of the Eating Behaviors Research Clinic in the Department of Psychology at Florida State University. Dr. Keel defined and characterized Purging Disorder as a potentially new disorder of eating, and this work contributed to the inclusion of Purging Disorder as an Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. Dr. Keel is a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), the Association for Psychological Science (APS), and the American Psychological Association (APA). She served as President for the Eating Disorders Research Society and President for the Academy for Eating Disorders and received the Leadership Award in Research from the Academy for Eating Disorders in 2019.

Reviews
The Void Inside provides an accessible introduction to purging disorder, a type of eating disorder in which individuals engage in voluntary, self-induced purging (typically vomiting) after eating but without the binging behavior seen in bulimia nervosa. Written by psychologist Pamela K. Keel, a leading researcher on purging disorder, the book is primarily aimed at individuals with purging disorder but may also provide a useful introduction to the subject for clinicians, family members, and the interested public. * Emily M. Lund, The Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity *



Book Information
ISBN 9780190061166
Author Pamela K. Keel
Format Hardback
Page Count 192
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions(mm) 163mm * 236mm * 20mm